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PloS One 2021A growing body of literature provides important insights into the meaning and impact of the right to marry a same-sex partner among sexual minority people. We conducted... (Review)
Review
A growing body of literature provides important insights into the meaning and impact of the right to marry a same-sex partner among sexual minority people. We conducted a scoping review to 1) identify and describe the psychosocial impacts of equal marriage rights among sexual minority adults, and 2) explore sexual minority women (SMW) perceptions of equal marriage rights and whether psychosocial impacts differ by sex. Using Arksey and O'Malley's framework we reviewed peer-reviewed English-language publications from 2000 through 2019. We searched six databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, JSTOR, and Sociological Abstracts) to identify English language, peer-reviewed journal articles reporting findings from empirical studies with an explicit focus on the experiences and perceived impact of equal marriage rights among sexual minority adults. We found 59 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Studies identified positive psychosocial impacts of same-sex marriage (e.g., increased social acceptance, reduced stigma) across individual, interpersonal (dyad, family), community (sexual minority), and broader societal levels. Studies also found that, despite equal marriage rights, sexual minority stigma persists across these levels. Only a few studies examined differences by sex, and findings were mixed. Research to date has several limitations; for example, it disproportionately represents samples from the U.S. and White populations, and rarely examines differences by sexual or gender identity or other demographic characteristics. There is a need for additional research on the impact of equal marriage rights and same-sex marriage on the health and well-being of diverse sexual minorities across the globe.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Marriage; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Social Stigma
PubMed: 33956825
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249125 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Aug 2003Dual-doctor marriages are increasingly frequent. The question raised here is whether being married to a fellow physician has a different impact on a doctor's career and...
BACKGROUND
Dual-doctor marriages are increasingly frequent. The question raised here is whether being married to a fellow physician has a different impact on a doctor's career and family life than having a spouse in a different profession.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
In 1996 a questionnaire was mailed to physicians who received their authorisation to practise medicine in Norway in the years 1980 through 1983 period; 1142 responded (67 %). They supplied data on their current employment status and data on employment history and marital background. Multivariate analysis was used in order to explore how the educational background of spouses affects a medical career.
RESULTS
Female physicians who marry a physician marry and have families at a younger age than other female physicians. Moreover, they more often enter specialties; in some specialities they also qualify earlier than those who marry non-physicians. The same did not hold for male physicians. However, male physicians in dual-doctor marriages more frequently worked part time and they far less frequently had spouses working part time than other male doctors.
INTERPRETATION
The results suggest that dual-doctor couples to a higher extent share in giving care to their families, have more interests in common and are more supportive of each other's needs. Female physicians seem to benefit particularly.
Topics: Adult; Career Choice; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Marriage; Norway; Nuclear Family; Physicians; Physicians, Women; Social Support; Spouses; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 14508561
DOI: No ID Found -
The Gerontologist Nov 2018In later life, adults' social networks grow smaller through a combination of intentional selection and involuntary loss. This study examined whether older adults who...
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
In later life, adults' social networks grow smaller through a combination of intentional selection and involuntary loss. This study examined whether older adults who lack a high-quality marriage compensate for this using support from other ties. We analyzed how relationships with family and friends are associated with depressive symptoms across multiple marital statuses.
DESIGN AND METHODS
Data from 3,371 older adults who participated in the most recent wave of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression.
RESULTS
Individuals in high-quality marriages experienced fewer depressive symptoms than the widowed, never married, divorced/separated, and those in lower-quality marriages. Older adults' perceived family support, family strain, and friend strain were all significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The only difference in these effects according to marital status was for perceived family support, which was strongest for the never married.
IMPLICATIONS
The never married may depend more on family and friends than the previously or unhappily married. Any compensation efforts among the latter failed to reduce depressive symptoms relative to happily married others. Older adults in high-quality marriages benefit from their marital relationship, and also benefit from supportive family and friend ties.
Topics: Aging; Depression; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Marital Status; Marriage; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Single Person; Social Networking; Social Support
PubMed: 28962022
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx151 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... Mar 2021A growing body of research has identified factors related to loneliness among older adults. Fewer have investigated predictors of loneliness within married couples. This...
OBJECTIVES
A growing body of research has identified factors related to loneliness among older adults. Fewer have investigated predictors of loneliness within married couples. This analysis investigates how spousal support and strain relate with loneliness within older couples (age 50+), and whether these associations are modified by functional limitation. The study focuses on Mexico, a country experiencing rapid aging occurring alongside historically limited institutional support for older adults, and where traditional gender roles extend to marriage.
METHODS
The analytic sample consisted of 3,584 husband-wife dyads from the 2012 and 2015 Mexican Health and Aging Study. Loneliness was measured using the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Associations between spousal support, strain, and loneliness were estimated within husband-wife dyads using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model.
RESULTS
Experiencing more spousal support was associated with less loneliness, whereas experiencing spousal strain was associated with more loneliness 3 years later among married adults. The associations between spousal support/strain and loneliness were stronger among husbands with limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) when compared to their counterparts without ADL limitations.
DISCUSSION
Among married adults, spousal support and strain may be important factors to understand loneliness within marriage. Effects should be interpreted within the context of functional limitation.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aging; Family Conflict; Female; Frail Elderly; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Loneliness; Male; Marriage; Mexico; Social Support
PubMed: 33165564
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa194 -
BMC Psychiatry Sep 2022Depression affects about 3.8% of the world's population. Although marriage may contribute to subjective well-being, some marital variables could increase women's risk...
BACKGROUND
Depression affects about 3.8% of the world's population. Although marriage may contribute to subjective well-being, some marital variables could increase women's risk for depression. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their correlates among married females attending primary healthcare facilities.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on a purposive sample of 371 married women at the primary healthcare centers, Assiut Governorate, Upper Egypt. In this study, an interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and marital satisfaction using the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS). Standardized measurements of weight and height were performed.
RESULTS
According to the PHQ-9 diagnostic criteria, the prevalence of depressive symptoms among the studied married females was 30.2%. The significant predictors of depressive symptoms were advanced husbands' ages, living with an extended family, exposure to spousal verbal violence, high body weight, and low marital satisfaction levels.
CONCLUSIONS
Approximately one-third of married Egyptian women experienced depressive symptoms. In addition to high body weight, some social and marital factors contributed to the increase in women's vulnerability to depressive symptoms. Egyptian primary healthcare physicians should be trained to identify females with depressive symptoms and refer them to specialists if need be. To combat depression in women, it may be helpful to construct qualified marital counseling centers. This may improve marital satisfaction, decrease the negative consequences of spousal violence, and ensure the value of independence for new families.
Topics: Body Weight; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Egypt; Female; Humans; Marriage; Prevalence; Primary Health Care
PubMed: 36088377
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04239-w -
Inquiry : a Journal of Medical Care... 2023Early marriage is one of the most important social issues for young women and can have many consequences. The present study aimed to explore the consequences of early...
Early marriage is one of the most important social issues for young women and can have many consequences. The present study aimed to explore the consequences of early marriage among Kurdish women in western Iran who were married under the age of 18. This qualitative study was conducted with the approach of conventional content analysis. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 women selected by purposeful sampling. Data analysis was performed using Graneheim and Lundman's method. A total of 389 codes, 12 subcategories, 4 sub-categories, and 2 main categories were extracted from the data analysis. Negative consequences of early marriage include: 1-physical and psychological problems (high-risk pregnancy and childbirth, physical illnesses, depression, and emotional distress); 2-family problems (dissatisfaction with married life, experience of having lots of responsibility, lack of independence in family life); 3-social problems (risky social behaviors, lack of access to social and health services, social isolation, lack of access to a job, and educational opportunities); and 4-positive consequences, including receiving intra-family support, improving living conditions, and opportunities for progress and empowerment. It is possible to reduce problems and challenges after early marriage by increasing the awareness and knowledge of young women about contraceptives and providing appropriate social and health facilities, and services during pregnancy. Providing the necessary training and psychological counseling for them and their husbands on how to deal with personal problems and marital life will be effective to a great extent.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Marriage; Iran; Qualitative Research
PubMed: 37073489
DOI: 10.1177/00469580231159963 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... Aug 2018Scholars have documented increases in the prevalence and complexity of stepfamilies earlier in the life course, but no one has systematically investigated U.S....
OBJECTIVES
Scholars have documented increases in the prevalence and complexity of stepfamilies earlier in the life course, but no one has systematically investigated U.S. stepfamily structure in later life. Guided by a family systems approach, we described the prevalence and composition of later-life stepfamilies.
METHOD
The analysis was based on 6,250 married and cohabiting couples participating in the 2012 Health and Retirement Study. We identified the prevalence of later-life stepfamilies, decomposed stepfamily structures, and compared the sociodemographic characteristics and relationship quality of the couples in stepfamilies with those in married families (with only joint children and no stepchildren), paying attention to differences between married and cohabiting stepfamilies.
RESULTS
Roughly 40% of middle-aged and older couples with children were in stepfamilies. Of all stepfamilies, 86% were married couples and 14% were cohabiting couples. Cohabiting stepfamilies more often included children from both partners' previous relationships, but couples in married stepfamilies more often had joint children. Cohabiting stepfamilies appeared to be the most socially and economically disadvantaged, followed by married stepfamilies, and lastly married families. Despite these compositional differences, partner relationship quality was largely similar across married families, married stepfamilies, and cohabiting stepfamilies.
DISCUSSION
This study underscores the high prevalence and complexity of later-life stepfamilies and foregrounds the urgency of additional research on this topic.
Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Family; Family Relations; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Marriage; Middle Aged; Socioeconomic Factors; United States
PubMed: 29190365
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbx150 -
PloS One 2021Violence against women has been one of the most prominent issue and a major public health concern. It is a principle violation of basic human rights and has both...
BACKGROUND
Violence against women has been one of the most prominent issue and a major public health concern. It is a principle violation of basic human rights and has both physical and mental effect on the victim. This study focuses on married and unmarried girls aged 15 to 19 years, belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India. This study attempts to examine depression level among married and unmarried girls who have faced violence against them. With the unprecedented growth in social networking, online digital platform and its accessibility, the study also brings out the pertinent aspect of internet based violence and its psychological outcome on adolescent girls. Hence, the study can be seen as an important and needed value addition to the existing pool of knowledge on the subject.
METHODS
The study uses Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) project data for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Depressive symptoms among adolescent girl is the outcome variable of the study. Descriptive statistic and bivariate analysis has been used to get to preliminary results. Chi-squared test is used to test the significant of variables. Further, multi-variate analysis (logistic regression) was used.
RESULTS
Almost 29, 23 and 26 percent of married adolescent girls had faced emotional, physical and sexual violence respectively. It was found that about five per cent of unmarried and eight per cent of married girls had high depressive symptoms. It was found that unmarried adolescent girls who had witnessed their father beating mother were 71 percent more likely to suffer from higher depressive symptoms [OR: 1.71, 1.09-2.69]. Adolescents who faced perpetrated bullying had 90 per cent [OR: 1.90, 1.32-2.72] and 86 per cent [OR: 1.86, 0.98-3.52] higher likelihood to suffer from higher depressive symptoms.
CONCLUSION
The study goes beyond intimate partner violence and includes various covariates to explain the association between violence and depressive symptoms among married and unmarried adolescents. Hence, more inclusive policies are needed to address the issue of violence against women as the spectrum of the violence is expanding with time.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Depression; Female; Gender-Based Violence; Humans; India; Intimate Partner Violence; Marriage; Sex Offenses; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 33765009
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248396 -
PloS One 2024Child marriage has been associated with a range of negative maternal and reproductive health outcomes. This study explored these associations in Liberia and Sierra Leone...
BACKGROUND
Child marriage has been associated with a range of negative maternal and reproductive health outcomes. This study explored these associations in Liberia and Sierra Leone and examined how child marriage intersected with other measures of social disadvantage.
METHODS
Data were derived from 631 and 1,325 married or cohabitating women aged 20-24 interviewed in the 2019-2020 Liberia and 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Surveys, respectively. Analyses were stratified by country. Regression models examined associations between age at first marriage (<15, 15-17, and 18+ years) and reproductive and maternal health outcomes, as well as interactions between child marriage and measures of social disadvantage. Multivariable regression results were presented as adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS
Over half of currently married/cohabitating women aged 20-24 in Liberia (52%) and Sierra Leone (54%) married before age 18, and over one in 10 married before age 15. In both countries, after adjusting for other factors, being married before the age of 18 was significantly associated with early fertility, high fertility, and low fertility control. Associations were particularly strong among women who first married before age 15. In Liberia, women who married at age 15-17 had significantly lower odds of skilled attendance at delivery and institutional delivery if they lived in the North Central region. Sierra Leonean women who married before age 15 had lower odds of institutional delivery and lower odds of four or more ANC visits if they lived in the North Western region.
CONCLUSION
This study found clear associations between child marriage and negative reproductive health outcomes in Liberia and Sierra Leone, with stronger associations among women married in early adolescence. Child marriage and region of residence intersected to shape young women's access to skilled attendance at birth and institutional delivery. These findings call for further investigation and targeted intervention.
Topics: Humans; Female; Liberia; Sierra Leone; Marriage; Cross-Sectional Studies; Young Adult; Adolescent; Maternal Health; Reproductive Health; Adult; Child; Pregnancy
PubMed: 38768254
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300982 -
Addiction (Abingdon, England) Jan 2019We tested whether parental alcohol use disorder (AUD) predicted adult offspring's likelihood of marriage and marriage to an AUD-affected spouse; whether effects differed...
AIMS
We tested whether parental alcohol use disorder (AUD) predicted adult offspring's likelihood of marriage and marriage to an AUD-affected spouse; whether effects differed as a function of the sex or number of affected parents; and whether they were robust to confounders.
DESIGN
Sex-stratified Cox and logistic regression models.
SETTING
Sweden.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 1 171 070 individuals (51.40% male) born 1965-75.
MEASUREMENTS
Obtained from legal, medical and pharmacy registries. Predictor was parent AUD. Outcomes were marriage and spouse AUD. Adjustments included offspring birth year and AUD; and parental education, marriage, divorce, criminal behavior and drug abuse.
FINDINGS
Male and female offspring of AUD-affected parents were more likely to marry at younger ages (< 25), illustrative unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.22 (1.17, 1.28) and 1.34 (1.20, 1.39) and were less likely to marry at older ages (> 25), HR = 0.79 (0.78, 0.81) and 0.82 (0.81, 0.84). Parental AUD was associated with higher odds of having an affected spouse for males and females, odds ratio (OR) = 1.47 (1.38, 1.57) and 1.63 (1.56, 1.70). Effects were more pronounced for those with two versus one AUD-affected parent and adjustments attenuated effects negligibly. Daughters of affected mothers (versus fathers) were more likely to have AUD-affected husbands, OR = 1.68 (1.54, 1.84) versus 1.56 (1.48, 1.64), while there was no difference in sons.
CONCLUSIONS
In Sweden, parental alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with a higher probability of marriage at younger ages, a lower probability of marriage at older ages and a higher likelihood of marriage to an affected spouse compared with no parental AUD. Most of these effects become stronger when the number of AUD-affected parents increases from one to two, and most effects hold after controlling for parents' socio-economic status, marital history, other externalizing disorders and offspring's own AUD status. Daughters of affected mothers are more likely to have an affected spouse.
Topics: Adult; Adult Children; Age Factors; Alcoholism; Child of Impaired Parents; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Marriage; Odds Ratio; Proportional Hazards Models; Sex Factors; Spouses; Sweden; Young Adult
PubMed: 30063276
DOI: 10.1111/add.14405